Homage

It snowed on Saturday, and it has been cold and windy ever since. While that’s just not right for this early in October, the frosty weather has definitely opened the gates for all forms of comfort food. (Not that it takes much for me to open those proverbial gates.)

For our girls’ night this week, Abbie made us a delicious, warm, filling meal. We started with dark, leafy greens, pears, walnuts, bleu cheese, cranberries, and honey, with some soft multigrain bread:

Next was white chicken chili, finished with yogurt and some green onions. It. Was. Amazing.

There was, of course, wine.

The dessert, though, is what I really want to tell you about. Abbie made the Barefoot Contessa’s Pear, Apple & Cranberry Crisp. She brought it over and baked it while we ate dinner. The smell was heavenly.

With some yummy crumble topping:

And, finally, warm from the oven and perfected by vanilla ice cream:

Do yourself a favor and make this. Or have Abbie come over and make it for you. It worked out well for me.

Pear, Apple & Cranberry Crisp

• 2 pounds ripe Bosc pears (4 pears)
• 2 pounds firm Macoun apples (6 apples)
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Topping:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Peel and core the pears and apples and cut them into large chunks. Place the fruit in a large bowl and toss with the cranberries, zests, juices, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch baking dish.

For the topping, combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and cold butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the mixture is in large crumbles. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit, covering the fruit completely.

Place the baking dish on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm.

Warm thoughts,

Tags: Ladies Nights, Me So Hungry Sometimes, Recipes